Goals and management styles of New Zealand farmers

Abstract

Many commentators on contemporary agriculture emphasize the importance of sound business decision making on the farm. We argue that while this may be appropriate, it is important not to overlook the personal goals of the farmers in any assessment of farm management. Since farmers combine both business and way of life goals in complex and personal ways, we find that the concept of management style is best suited to developing an integrated account of different approaches to farm management. Ranking of goal statements along with interview transcripts provided data that allow for a detailed account of three distinctive management styles in a non-random sample of farmers in Canterbury, New Zealand. The three management styles identified in this investigation are the dedicated producer, the flexible strategist and the environmentalist. The results show the variable response of farmers to their particular social, economic and ecological context and extend out knowledge of management style by showing how goals are integrated in subtle and complex ways.